President George H. W. Bush, 1924-2018

UPDATE: Walker Stapleton, a close family member, reflects on the passing of President George H. W. Bush:

Our Country has lost a hero and I have lost my North Star. Some of my earliest memories include fishing with him while sharing 44 years of love and laughs. His selfless kindness towards others regardless of background or circumstance was unequaled. pic.twitter.com/hsS38SaE0K

America has lost a patriot and humble servant in George Herbert Walker Bush. While our hearts are heavy today, they are also filled with gratitude. Our thoughts are with the entire Bush family tonight – and all who were inspired by George and Barbara’s example. pic.twitter.com/g9OUPu2pjY

22 Community Comments,
Facebook Comments

The Trump Sad!-ministration rose to the challenge and issued a statement, as well:

Melania and I join with a grieving Nation to mourn the loss of former President George H.W. Bush, who passed away last night.

Through his essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family, and country, President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service—to be, in his words, “a thousand points of light” illuminating the greatness, hope, and opportunity of America to the world.

President Bush always found a way to set the bar higher. As a young man, he captained the Yale baseball team, and then went on to serve as the youngest aviator in the United States Navy during the Second World War. Later in life, he rose to the pinnacle of American politics as a Congressman from Texas, envoy to China, Director of Central Intelligence, Vice President of eight years to President Ronald Reagan, and finally President of the United States.

With sound judgement, common sense, and unflappable leadership, President Bush guided our Nation, and the world, to a peaceful and victorious conclusion of the Cold War. As President, he set the stage for the decades of prosperity that have followed. And through all that he accomplished, he remained humble, following the quiet call to service that gave him a clear sense of direction.

Along with his full life of service to country, we will remember President Bush for his devotion to family—especially the love of his life, Barbara. His example lives on, and will continue to stir future Americans to pursue a greater cause. Our hearts ache with his loss, and we, with the American people, send our prayers to the entire Bush family, as we honor the life and legacy of 41.

[of course, the statement didn’t bother to fact check. Bush was the youngest aviator during WWII, THEN he went to Yale].

And then, a more direct Tweet from Twittler.

President George H.W. Bush led a long, successful and beautiful life. Whenever I was with him I saw his absolute joy for life and true pride in his family. His accomplishments were great from beginning to end. He was a truly wonderful man and will be missed by all!

In fairness to Walker, pardoning your cronies to protect you from prosecution for your crimes is right up 41's alley. Not to mention the racism, appointing a sexual predator to the court. Maybe not so different.

The Trump crime family has so damaged the very concept of the presidency that all of his predecessors now look good.

H.W. Bush was no wimp. Anyone gutsy enough to fly off a WW II carrier with only the most minimal navigation aids is heroic to the point of foolhardiness.

But courage is no substitute for good planning. He was not a good president, mainly because he did not stand up to the right-wing preachers who ultimately hijacked his presidency. As a war leader, he had the rare wisdom of knowing when to stop, realizing that overthrowing Saddam would do more harm than good. His fool kid felt otherwise and we are still mired in the middle east as a result.

Compared to Trump, Bush was a titan. But, compared to Trump, my parakeet is a titan. And my parakeet is dead.

Poppy Bush unwittingly ushered in the era of low expectations to the presidency. Now, our nation is engaged in an endless limbo contest to learn just how low we can go.

In the end, Bush was a decent, honorable guy who did his honest best. That cannot be said of the scoundrel who now sits as his sucessor.

Too bad Poppy Bush showed zero (0) human decency for those afflicted with AIDS at the start of that epidemic in the 90's. It was politically advantageous to him to demonize them as deserving of their fate and divert funding away from AIDS research. Kind of poetic justice that he died on World AIDS day.

Exactly, Cook.…. I had a lot of issues with Daddy Bush but I am old enough to remember Ronald Reagan.

On HIV/AIDS, Daddy Bush was a noticeable improvement. He said the four-letter word (acronym) AIDS. He appoint Anthony Fauci (one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject) to the Dept. of Health and Human Services. His wife held the HIV-infected babies to demonstrate that it is not contagious in that manner. He also signed the ADA which provided recourse for people discriminated against on the basis of HIV status.

Granted, he may not have done as much as his three successors – even his dimwitted son advanced treatment availability – but he was an improvement over Reagan.

Need to clarify some things here. The AIDS epidemic began in the early 1980s, not the '90s. The Reagan Administration was quietly pro-active in revising social security disability rules to account for the epidemic and get people onto benefits. Medical records to confirm the diagnosis were needed, but with those in hand, the approval rate was high and quick. Advocacy groups helped to push this effort.

There was also a lot of ongoing research that began in the '80s into the various diseases caused by the AIDS virus. Was it quick? No. These diseases were complex in nature and a lot of research was needed; lots of trial & error.

There was also a clear attempt to link AIDS with God's retribution against a horrible lifestyle. It was trotted out ad nauseam to show how morally disgusting homo's were and how God would get you if you went to bed with someone of the same sex. If Bush showed human decency towards those affected by this terrible disease, his political peers and the leading Evangelicals of the time did not.

The same thing happened when "Ronny Raygun" passed away. I was sitting with a group of people waiting for a meeting while a radio blared in the next room. At one point we caught ourselves looking at each other quizzically, when one of us verbalized what was on all our minds…Who the hell are they talking about?…certainly not the man we all thought we knew.

Sure…a family has lost its patriarch…many children have lost their grandpa…many friends have lost a man who, by most accounts, was a pretty nice guy.

But…let us not elevate him to sainthood, like the right has done with Ronald Reagan. The Republican party did not get here in spite of Ronny and Poppy, they got here because of them.